Door-latch.



W. SMITH.

n oon LATCH. APPLICATION FILEDl NOV. 25 |917 1,274,096. Patented July 30, 1918.

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UNITED srarns PATENT Q1f-W101i;g f

c WILLIAM SMHHQQFYREADIGZ PENNSYLVAIAJ e i Application led Nevenlber 26, 191'/P .To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM SMrrH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Latches, of which the following isl a specification.

This invention relates to door latches and more particularly to an improvedv sliding latch adapted to be attached-to a door and operated Vby a knob in a manner'that lwill cause an operation of alatch regardless of the direction of rotation of Ithe knob. One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a sliding latch bolt adapted to be drawn into a casing carried by the door when the knob is-turnedin eitherdirection and which will be arranged toV move to operative locking position as soon as the knob has been released.

The invention" further aims at the provision of a latch' ofthisV character thatwill be arranged within the casing and consist of a number of parts supported'bythe 'ends of the casing in a manner that will permit free sliding movement ofthe operative parts thus eliminating all unnecessary frictionl andl causing a free movement to `be imparted to thev operating parts when the knob 'is vactuated.v 1A further object of the invention isrthe provision of a device of this character which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in constructionbut durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character areordinarily subjected. Y

For a full description ofthe invention and the advantages and merits thereof, reference is to be had tothe following descrip-AA tion and the accompanying drawings where? in is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the latch showing the mechanism mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line'2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Y

Referring to the drawingY wherein is illustrated the preferred' form of my invention, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the casing 1 is of'substantially rectangular formation and is adapted to be fitnoon-LATCH.

Specification of-Liettervs Patent.

rprovided `with an opening 6l` through have their terminals p Y Engageable with the lugs are thelingers y`10 Patented uly 30, ,11918.

Serial No. 204,030. f

ted into a door in the usual manner andl has the'flange 2 at one end wherebyl the casing maybe screwed or bolted to the door for Vholding the casing iniX'ed position. One

side of the casing is providedwith` a Vrelmovable plate 3, where access may be gained lto lthe interior of the'caSiIigand-this plate is attachedV Vthrough the -medium1 of screws 4 received'in lugs 5 carried byv the casing Aat points adjacent the edge ofthe open side.

The front or end wall lof the casiV Vis Dilch the tongue '7 ofa slidingbolt'is.projected Vand this bolt includes the curved arms 8 whichareeX-tended in spaced relation and provided with lugs 9.

of a yokevmember 11 whichinclufde's a spacing bar`12'theV ends of which'V are connected to the fingersk 10. Intermediatethe' ends of i vthe bar12-is a suitableopeninglffor'receiving one end o f a Vrod 14 which rejects through an opening and'h'as its gend' astened toga pin 1'5. The opposite endt'of the rod is rfixedfin any suitable manner to' the end wall of the casing and a coil Vexpansionspring 16 encircles the rod and is interposed betweenl the end wallofthe 'casing and the edge of the bar 12 vfor normally urging the ends ofthe fingers 10 into engagement with thelugs 9 whereby the tongue 7 will be normally projected through the openingr 6( In this :manner the tongue may beheld in the -ordinary socket ordinarily vemployed with vlatches n the ldoor jamb. In order .thatV the sliding boltlmay be-operatedI have provided arr operating-'rod or studY shaft17 which pro'- jects through a suitable openingin the side of thecasing 'and has its yinner 'end reduced inv size to form a square extension 18 received in a correspondingly shaped opening 19y and an actuating leverv 20. This lever includes oppositely extending arms the terminals of which arein engagement with the spaces of the lugs opposite to the faces engaged by the endsof the fingers V10. The opposite or other end of the stud shaft 17 is provided with a suitable knob 21. To operate the latch it is merely necessary to turn the knob and either one of the arms 9o and `whiclr vare iusually mounted on will force the corresponding lug inwardly against the pressure exerted by the'spring 16 so that the tongue 7 will bedrawn into the casing and thus be released from the socket in the door jamb. It is to be observed that this action will occur regardless of the direction of rotation of the knob. Since the rod let is rigidly fixed to one end of the casingV and has its opposite end projected through the opening in the bar 12, the bar is thereby slidably supported Without contact with the easing and since the substantially square tongue Z is slidably mounted in the opening 6 in the said end Wall of the casing, this tongue Will also 'be slidably mountedvvithout any other portion of the bolt contacting With the casing. Thus the two parts are slidably mounted in a manner that Will prevent any accessive friction and consequently cause an ease of oper-ation When the knob is turned that has not been heretofore obtained in devices of this character.

In order that the actuating lever may turn in the exact center of the casing, thatl in the same planeas the rod le, l have provided recesses in the arms of the yoke These recesses or depressions indicated at 21, provide a space for receiving the actuating lever 20. and the lugs 9 are extended at right angles so that they are in the path of movement of the arms of the actuating lever.

From the foregoing it Will be observed that a very simple and durable latch hasbeen provided the details of which embody the preferred form. I desire it to be understood, however, that slight changes in the minor detailsof construction may be made Without departing from the spirit of' the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

'I Claim:

l. A door latch compri-sing a casing having a sliding bolt mounted therein, curved arms formed on the bolt and having their terminals disposed in spaced relation and provided with right angularly disposed lugs, a yoke member comprising a spacing bar having lingers formed at the ends thereof engageable with the said ends of the curved arm, a rod fixed to.Y one end of the casing and projecting centrally therethrough and slidably supporting the said spacing bar, resilient means interposed between the end of the casing and the said spacing bar, for urging the said fingers into engagement with the terminals of the arm, and actuating` levers rotatably mounted Within the casing and provided with oppositely extending arms engageable With the said lugs on the faces thereof opposite to the faces engaged by the ends of the said fingers.

2. A door latch comprising a casing having a sliding bolt mounted therein, curved arms formed on the bolt and having their terminals disposed in spaced relation and provided with right angularly disposed lugs, a, yoke member comprising a Spacing bar yhaving fingers formed e at the ends thereof engageable with the said ends of the curved arm, a rod fixed to one end of the casing and projecting centrally therethrough and slidably supporting the said spacing bar, resilient means interposed between Vthe end of the casing and the said spacing bar for urging the said fingers into engagement with the terminals of the arm, and actuating levers rotatably mounted Within the casing and'provided With oppositely extending arms engageable with the said lugs on the faces thereof opposite to the faces `engaged by the ends lof the said fingers, :the said yoke and curved armsy being centrally mounted in the casing the said arms having depressions for lproviding.a central space to receive the central actuating lever,vr the said arms off the actuating lever being movable in the said depress-ion for engagement with the said lug Vto move the said locking bolt centrally against the pressure of the fingers exerted by the said spring.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

VILLIAM SMITH.

Witnesses SAMUEL SMrrI-r, .NELSON HEIM.,

Qqpies of this patent may be fihtainfaf foor five cents each," by addressing` the Commissioner of Eatents,

' Washington, D.. C. 

